About Me
I started as a self-taught programmer, driven by curiosity about technology and an urge to solve my daily life problems. Back then, good AI chats didn't exist, so I learned how and what to search for without anyone guiding me. This was hard, but it taught me to put my problems and ideas into words and to persevere.
Now, I’m a software engineering student in my fourth year (out of five and a half). I’m fascinated by the systems we’ve built to model reality and amplify our work. I invest significant effort in profoundly understanding the subjects I work on. But college can fall short—and worse, it unintentionally encourages bad practices and reinforces existing flaws by imposing ways of working meant to prepare for a professional life that too often gets things wrong.
Some clarifications on my career
At my university, the Software Engineering degree takes five and a half years and is divided into two cycles: a bachelor’s phase and a professional title phase. I’m currently in the final year of the bachelor’s cycle, with a minor in Industrial Engineering, and I’m set to complete the bachelor’s by the end of 2025.
Speaking of flaws, here are mine when it comes to work—take them as a sign I care.
- I can have strong opinions and sometimes push too hard–quietly–to get my way.
- I plan too much and dream too big, then get overwhelmed and abandon it.
- I get caught in the aesthetics, even though it is not my biggest strength.
I have many more, but I'll leave those for when you actually meet me.
Oh, and by the way, I'm from Santiago de Chile 🇨🇱, and I like to keep my life balanced so I can do things I love with my friends and family: cooking, playing padel, reading books, watching (a lot of) Youtube, singing and biking. Also, I've kept myself busy volunteering in education projects like Trabün and Belén UC (from my university) where I was in charge of logistics and finances.
Why 37signals
I’ve seen you on X, read your blogs, read some of your code, and seen your products: you are true craftsmen of our era, and I want to be one too. I believe you can enhance and guide my talents for the better. You're more appealing than university or any other job out there.
Want to know how I got to know you?
I'm the eighth of nine children. Some of my older brothers, who are engineers, dream about working at 37signals. They read your books and try to apply your culture at their workplaces. They even cite DHH and Jason at dinner sometimes. So naturally I started following you myself.
Your products are great and you sell them right (I'm looking at you, ONCE). Small and close teams? That sounds human. Great perks and conditions? I see them as natural consequences of your mentality, which I love. Oh, and “treat people right, tell the truth, teach, give back, and keep learning” shouldn’t be rare—but sadly I think it is.
Why me at 37signals
This is not about being technically the best now, but about potential. For that, I'm convinced that attitude matters the most and I know you value it too.
- I’m in constant pursuit of things that bother me and others. With you, we’ll solve them together while setting the appetites correctly.
- I like Ruby on Rails.
- I understand the importance of communicating ideas properly and entertainingly. You will show me how to be an exceptional writer.
- With your reach, I’m going to serve thousands, and this drives me to work better every day. For me, each bit of work is a chance to care—for users, and also teammates, loved ones and others.
- I love developing systems of any kind. With you, I’m going to build them from 'Hello world' to IPO. And I'm eager to learn your workflows.
- I admire great solutions. I'm prepared to humbly learn from your excellent team.
- I manage myself. Now I am learning to plan just weeks ahead and to properly say 'yes'.
- I ask questions and try to give answers. Sometimes publicly (here and here).
I read Shape Up this past summer...
because I care about how teams work. College team dynamics frustrate me, which led me to read it. I really connected with small teams, no backlog, 6 week work cycles,and working one slice at a time. I like that you think about it—and it shows in your products.
I also have bigger visions...
about privacy, access to knowledge, our relationship with AI, and property rights—things I believe are crucial to our future. Maybe we could build something together...
So, why then? Because you need someone who cares about the same things you do, who puts high-quality effort into it, and who already shows sparks of promising abilities that will meet your needs–and push them further. That’s me.